Polk County News
2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 10, 2016
Where art and technology intersect
Fractal art ‘mesmerizes’ viewers at Dallas Public Library through end of February
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Paul Griffitts
describes one of his favorite
fractal art designs on display
this month at Dallas Public
Library as “mesmerizing.”
“I can easily get lost,” he
said.
That could be said of all
his pieces, in which patterns
appear to repeat countless
times in multiple variations.
The more you look, the
more you see.
Fractal art combines
mathematical formula gen-
erating software and the
artist’s eye and creativity to
create images.
Griffitts said it’s the inter-
section of art and technolo-
gy and, for him, it’s the per-
fect medium.
“If somebody had been
tasked with creating an art
form specifically with my
mind in mind, this would be
very close to it,” he said. “I
love not knowing what I’m
going to find when I start
working on a new fractal. I
never know what the end re-
sult is going to be, so it’s al-
ways a process of explo-
ration.”
That exploration began
causally.
“I started playing around
with fractal programs about
15 to 20 years ago, but when
it was two-dimensional frac-
tals,” he said.
While fascinated, Griffitts
said there’s a steep learning
curve in fractal art, and he
wasn’t able to invest the
amount of time needed to
become proficient. That
changed three years ago
after three-dimensional
fractal programs became
popular.
“I started working my way
through every tutorial I
DEADLINES
NEWS DEADLINES
For inclusion in the
Wednesday edition of the
Itemizer-Observer:
Social news (weddings,
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saries, births, milestones) —
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Community events —
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Community Notebook and
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Letters to the editor —
10 a.m. on Monday.
Obituaries — 4 p.m. on
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Noon on Monday. Classified
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Public notices — Noon
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CORRECTIONS
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
“Dragonfly,” one of Paul Griffitts’ original pieces, is on display at Dallas Public Library as part of the artist’s show.
could find multiple times
until I got the hang of it,” he
said.
Griffitts sought to emulate
the work of other artists he
admired and found he
couldn’t. That led to another
realization.
“It became very frustrat-
ing and demoralizing, but I
finally figured out that I
liked what I was doing and
that other people liked what
I was doing,” Griffitts said. “I
figured in an art form that is
as new as this, there would
be room for my style.”
He said with 3-D fractal
art, an artist has more than
450 formulas to choose from
and can combine up to six
to create images. Artists can
add variations to the formu-
las to further change the
piece.
“Sometimes just by
changing a number by
1/1,000, it will change the
entire image,” Griffitts said.
“You work to shape an image
by manipulating the formu-
las and their variables.”
A former Dallas resident,
Griffitts now lives in Port-
land. A library employee
called him to display his
work at the library after
seeing some of his pieces at
The Bread Board in Falls
City.
He said his style stands
out from other artists in the
field because of his unique
use of color and sparingly
use of three-dimensional as-
pects.
“I tend to look at it more
as painting with fractals,” he
said. “A lot of fractal artists
are so enamored with the
scale of it. It’s like standing
on the cliff and they’re look-
ing at the ocean trying to
replicate its size. I’m down
on the ground on the shore
looking at tide pools.”
Griffitts’ work will be on
the display on the art wall at
Dallas Public Library, 950
Main St., through Feb. 26.
Part of the proceeds from
sales, 20 percent, will go to
the library.
For more information:
Frackxion 3-D Fractal Art at
www.Frackxion.com.
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Paul Griffitts began work-
ing with 3-D fractal art
three years ago.
‘No confidence’ at CHS
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE —
Teachers at Central High
School have voted “no confi-
dence” in Principal Greg
Mitchell, 88 to 11 percent,
City of Monmouth
Request for Proposals
for Building Purchase or Lease
238 Jackson Street E.
(Old Police Station)
February 4, 2016
The City of Monmouth is requesting proposals for
the purchase or lease of the City’s property located
at 238 Jackson Street E., also known as the Old Police
Station.
The property is a 3,577 SF office building located on
8,800 SF of High Density Residential (RH) zoned land
in Monmouth, Oregon. Includes off-street parking.
Information on how to submit a proposal for this
property is located on the City’s website:
http://www.ci.monmouth.or.us
A comprehensive real estate appraisal report on this
property is also included on the website.
Proposals must be received by 4:00 p.m., Thursday,
March 10, 2016. For more information, please contact
Scott McClure at smcclure@ci.monmouth.or.us. or
503-751-0146.
Matinees are all shows
before 6pm. New pricing for
matinees are: Adult $7.25
Children $6.75 • Senior $7.00
Pricing does not reflect
3D showings.
Friday - Sunday Feb 12 - Feb 14
THE CHOICE (Digital) (PG13)
HOW TO BE SINGLE (Digital) (R)
KUNG FU PANDA 3 (Digital 2D) (PG)
ZOOLANDER 2 (Digital) (PG13)
DEADPOOL (Digital) (R)
STAR WARS:
THE FORCE AWAKENS (Digital 2D) (PG13)
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
AND ZOMBIES (Digital) (PG13)
FINEST HOURS (Digital 2D) (PG13)
THE REVENANT (Digital) (R)
(1:40 4:15)
(11:40 2:10 4:40)
(12:10 2:35 4:50)
(12:20 2:40 5:05)
(11:30 2:00 4:30)
6:50
7:15
7:10
7:30
7:00
9:10
9:55
9:25
9:50
9:30
(12:20 3:25) 6:30
9:30
(12:00 2:25) 7:20
(4:45)
(12:00 3:05) 6:10
9:40
9:15
Monday February 15
THE CHOICE (Digital) (PG13)
HOW TO BE SINGLE (Digital) (R)
KUNG FU PANDA 3 (Digital 2D) (PG)
ZOOLANDER 2 (Digital) (PG13)
DEADPOOL (Digital) (R)
STAR WARS:
THE FORCE AWAKENS (Digital 2D) (PG13)
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
AND ZOMBIES (Digital) (PG13)
FINEST HOURS (Digital 2D) (PG13)
THE REVENANT (Digital) (R)
(1:40 4:15)
(11:40 2:10 4:40)
(12:10 2:35 4:50)
(12:20 2:40 5:05)
(11:30 2:00 4:30)
6:50
7:15
7:10
7:30
7:00
(12:20 3:25) 6:30
(12:00 2:25) 7:20
(4:45)
(12:00 3:05) 6:10
Tuesday - Thursday Feb 16 - Feb 18
THE CHOICE (Digital) (PG13)
HOW TO BE SINGLE (Digital) (R)
KUNG FU PANDA 3 (Digital 2D) (PG)
ZOOLANDER 2 (Digital) (PG13)
DEADPOOL (Digital) (R)
STAR WARS:
THE FORCE AWAKENS (Digital 2D) (PG13)
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
AND ZOMBIES (Digital) (PG13)
FINEST HOURS (Digital 2D) (PG13)
THE REVENANT (Digital) (R)
(4:15)
(2:10 4:40)
(2:35 4:50)
(2:40 5:05)
(2:00 4:30)
6:50
7:15
7:10
7:30
7:00
(3:25) 6:30
(2:25) 7:20
(4:45)
(3:05) 6:10
said Central Education Asso-
ciation president Ben Gor-
man.
Gorman said Mitchell has
not communicated with
teachers and has failed to
create a master schedule in a
timely manner, which af-
Help and encouragement after the death
of a spouse, child, family member or friend.
Please join us for a 13 week seminar and support group
that meets weekly to help you face the challenges of
grief. Each session focuses on a specific topic and offers
a DVD presentation and small group discussion time. A
personal workbook is included for taking notes on the
presented material and On Your Own sections.
$35 registration includes workbook. Scholarships available.
First session, “Is This Normal?” begins
Monday, Feb. 15 • 6:30 pm
Weekday Bible Building , 1156 SE Holman Ave.
For more information
or to register please
call Kate or visit our
website.
5039171625
www.crossandcrownministries.org
A few clarifications for the
story “Unsettled Terms,” Feb.
3, Page 16A: The administra-
tor who received a $23,000
increase was because of a
promotion and new position
created when Western Ore-
gon University became in in-
dependent university. Aver-
age salary for non-tenure
track faculty is $33,000, con-
sidering part- and full-time
faculty. Full-time-only non-
tenure track faculty is closer
to $40,000.
In the Feb. 3 “Pedee News”
column, Page 9A, Sam
Guida’s brother, Joe, was
misidentified in a paragraph
about a celebration of life for
Guida.
The Polk County Itemizer-
Observer is committed to
publishing accurate news,
feature and sports reports.
Send a correction or clarifica-
tion, call the newsroom at
503-623-2373 or send an e-
mail to nadams@polkio.com.
fects teachers and students.
The union has filed griev-
ances three times against
the principal, requesting
remedies. Each time, the
remedies have been granted,
and the grievance has been
withdrawn. Gorman said
that while administrators are
giving teachers what they
ask for, by not acknowledg-
ing the grievance, the school
board has not been aware of
what’s going on at Central
High School.
Teachers are calling for
Mitchell to be removed from
the high school, Gorman
said.
If he is not, then teachers
will likely try to find work
elsewhere, he added.
24 hour
Service
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WEATHER
RECORDED
HIGH LOW
Feb. 2................. 50
Feb. 3................. 48
Feb. 4................. 56
Feb. 5................. 59
Feb. 6................. 54
Feb. 7................. 61
Feb. 8................. 65
34
41
44
37
36
42
36
RAIN
.03
.15
.11
.15
.00
.00
.00
Rainfall during Feb. — 0.44 in.
Rain through Feb. 8 — 8.26 in.
Pick up &
Drop Off